We had an enjoyable drive from Kingsland Georgia to Charles Towne Landing. As we approached Charles Towne Landing, we began to see the ocean.
Charles Towne Landing is a State Historic Site located at the place where settlers from England first arrived to settle what is now Charleston, South Carolina. For a simple settlement from the 17th century, it has an impressive entrance. From the road, it is a short drive to the entry building. The entry building has a nice fountain on the outside and a museum on the inside. The museum is free to visit. If you want to see the settlement and the zoo, there is an entry fee.
We spent some time in the museum learning some of the history of the site. We also found a map so that we could plan our tour.
There are only a few remnants of the original settlement. There are markers and replicas scattered around the area to show what the settlement looked like. The boat is a replica of the three ships that sailed here in 1670. It must be built to scale because there is no way 93 people were on a boat this size. The settlement was relatively small. They did choose a well hidden place to settle.
There is a house on the land that was was built long after the original settlement. It was remodeled a few times with the last changes occuring during the 1930s and 1940s. The landscaping around the house is magnificent. A long row of live oaks provide a beautiful entrance to the house. Behind the house is a peaceful reflecting pool.
The gardens and grounds around the house had an amazing assortment of flowers and fruit trees.
An interesting addition to the settlement is a small zoo that houses animals that were indigenous to the area when the settlers arrived. So much has changed since that time. It is interesting to consider buffalo in South Carolina.
